Dublin's Hume Street Hospital, which specialises in dermatology and treats about 20,000 patients a year, confirmed yesterday it is to close at the end of next month.
Patients who attend the hospital will be treated instead at St Vincent's hospital, to which its dermatology services are being transferred.
And the hospital itself, which has provided services for almost 100 years, is to be sold by public tender.
In a statement, the hospital board said it was working closely with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and St Vincent's to ensure a smooth transition of services to the site of St Vincent's hospital at Elm Park.
The move had been planned for some time. But efforts to accelerate it began last year after it emerged that the hospital had received a report from fire safety consultants indicating that fire precautions in the hospital buildings were "below an acceptable level".
In its statement the hospital said the move is in line with the recommendations of two reports from Comhairle na nOspidéal published in 1988 and 2003.
"The board is confident that the dermatology service will be enhanced at its new location in a major academic teaching hospital where a comprehensive range of services are available. Patients can look forward to receiving the care of the same dermatology consultants and most of the existing Hume Street nursing staff. All patients will be informed of the new location of their appointments as they arise following the transfer of the service. It is expected that the transfer will be seamless with no disruption of the service," it said.
"The new service will be provided in a newly refurbished dedicated dermatology facility at the St Vincent's site."
Founded in 1911, it was funded originally by voluntary contributions and overseen by a board of governors. Today the hospital receives its funding from the HSE.
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